Senate Beat Could Be You

Action items: Like what you see? Don’t like what you see? If you want to be featured in these illustrious pages, student body election registration closes today! Renn Fayre is on the horizon. The powers that be have yet to stop hazing, but they’re working on it.

Like clockwork, Senate Public for Monday, April 7, occurred at the usual time (4:10pm) in the usual place (the SU). Student Body President Andee Gude ‘26 brought the meeting to order. Gude gave an update on the Presidential Council on Campus Climate (PCCC)’s ongoing discussions about the racist graffiti found in the GCC and the Library in February, as well as potential solutions to the larger issues of discrimination on campus. They announced their upcoming meeting with Campus and Student Life on Wednesday, where she planned to ask about the cost of summer housing, which has been free for qualifying students in the past. Gude also reported on the changes to lighting in the Library, as covered in recent Senate Publics, reporting that it will, in fact, be replaced.

Gude announced that communication has been sent to the student body about the upcoming student body elections for positions with terms starting in the fall 2025 semester. With the election coming up, Senate and the Election Liaisons are working on increasing voter engagement among the student body.

Gude also reported for Student Body Vice President Lucy Knight-King ‘26, who was not present, stating that the Renn Fayre Committee met to discuss their delay in getting board points to fund the Feast and potential weather problems on the weekend of Renn Fayre.

Senator and Appointments Committee Co-chair Andrew Happy ‘27 recommended fellow Senator and Appointments Committee co-Chair Bella Moore ‘26 for Community for Accessibility Resources and Disability Support (CARDS) Chair. The motion passed with nine senators in favor and two abstentions.

Senator Eleanor Davis-Diver ‘26 reported that Appeals Board will be meeting again for their last case, although Davis-Diver will be unable to attend. Senator Ren Raskin ‘27 announced that she would be present at the Appeals Board meeting, as well as her upcoming meetings with Academic Support Services and the Arts Committee.

Senator Alyssa Daggett ‘27 reported upcoming meetings with the Health and Counseling Center and Commons. For the CARDS Committee, Daggett stated that she has been working with Sexual Health, Advocacy, and Relationship Education (SHARE) and the Renn Fayre Committee on the substance-free Blue Lodge for Renn Fayre. She also reported on her meeting with Title IX the previous week to talk about student concerns.

Head Treasurer Maya Gutierrez ‘27 introduced the results of last week’s Finance Committee (FinComm), where Hawai’i Connection received $529.06 in a unanimous vote. Gutierrez also announced that Treasury has fillable disbursement and P-Card forms for all signators to use.

Assistant Treasurer Jules Flynn ‘27 announced their upcoming meeting with the Bookstore on April 26.

Senator Sima Fasihi ‘28 reported that the Student Committee on Academic Policy and Planning intends to table and make posters to get responses for a survey they are conducting. Fasihi also reported that she met with the Center for Life Beyond Reed (CLBR) and had “good news”: all funding and fellowship information is now condensed in the same place on the Reed website under the “Academics” section. CLBR plans to collect quantitative data on which students are receiving fellowships and funding over the summer, in order to guide their efforts to connect students with opportunities and resources. Fasihi also noted that senators are working with CLBR on more ways to collaborate in the future.

Senator Karter Stanton ‘26 returned to one of the most hotly-contested topics from last week’s Senate Public: the Stop Hazing Act. She announced that the Stop Hazing Act Committee would be meeting this week, but had no more information on the legislation’s potential influence on the curtailment of Brawl Ball or Owl Fight. 

Senator Catherine Hoyle ‘25 reported that she has been working on her subcommittee for Accessibility to make a dropbox for the website. She reported that the long-awaited CARDS mural is getting a plaque. For the Commons Committee, Hoyle stated that she would be working to get items for Passover in Commons. Chag sameach!

Moore then recommended Gutierrez for Assistant Treasurer, with eleven senators voting in favor and one abstention from Gutierrez. Thus, the saga continues. 

Moore added to Daggett’s remarks on CARDS to note that they have made a complete draft for a pamphlet with information on accessibility groups on campus. She also met with Title IX Coordinator Christy Martin to discuss yours truly—the Quest—and its relationship to obligatory reporting. The Title IX office briefly designated Quest editors as obligatory reporters in the fall semester before reversing course after receiving clarification on the editors’ job responsibilities, which did not meet the requirement for obligatory reporter status. The Reed Union Committee met both this week and last week regarding plans for a Union in the fall semester, aiming to secure a date on the faculty calendar as soon as possible.

With no audience questions, the student body kept its peace in a rare and beautiful occurrence. The meeting was adjourned at a brisk 4:21pm. 

Senate Public is held at 4:10pm in the SU every Monday for those interested in getting the scoop firsthand—seniors, you only have so many chances left to get a front row seat to the cutthroat and awe-inspiring world of student government, so take them while you can. If you have your eye on a Senate seat in the future, this is the place to scope out your future colleagues and competition. For everyone else, Senate Public might be more exciting if you showed up and gave us lonely (and, this time, completely absent) Quest reporters company.